Ontario Police Ex-Chief Opposes Trudeau, Tory, Saunders on Guns

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TheGunBlog.ca — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the mayor of the country’s largest city face an unlikely opponent in their campaign against hunters and sport shooters: the former chief of Canada’s second-biggest police force.

Chris Lewis, the retired commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, has repeatedly opposed the push by Trudeau and Toronto Mayor John Tory to take away guns owned by more than 2 million federally licensed men and women across Canada.

He’s now challenging one of their favourite talking points in the anti-gun assault, the Domestically Sourced Crime Gun conspiracy.

‘I Don’t Buy It’

Trudeau, Tory and their allies in government and media have promoted their prohibition campaign by accusing Canadian hunters, sport shooters and gun stores of supplying weapons to violent criminals and gangs.

Read: Trudeau Ramps Up Campaign to Ban Guns From Licensed Owners

They say, without evidence, that criminals no longer get most of their firearms from U.S. smuggling and are instead getting them “domestically sourced.”

“I don’t buy it,” Lewis said yesterday on Twitter.

Brian Lilley

He was replying to Brian Lilley sharing his latest article, “Liberal Lie on Domestic Guns Exposed, Again.”

“Very few handguns are legally bought and used in crimes by the owner,” Lewis tweeted. “A few may be legally bought then illegally sold and then used in crimes. A few are legally bought/owned then stolen and used in crimes. The rest come from the US.”

 

Lewis’s tweet disputes the “domestically sourced” storyline initiated by Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders in the Toronto Star two years ago. Tory revived it in the Toronto Sun in March. Other politicians, police and media have run with it.

No Evidence

Many violent offenders get or make weapons in Canada, but the government and police have failed to provide any data or evidence that most of them do.

The statistics that are available, because of the work of Dennis Young, show the assertions are false. Most guns seized by police aren’t traced at all because the high cost and low benefit.

‘No Records’

Lilley’s article shared Young’s latest findings, a letter from the federal ministry in charge of firearm policy saying it found “no records” of firearms stolen from legitimate users.

A Toronto police internal report obtained via special request by Young showed 2017 had the lowest percentage of so-called “crime guns” traced to Canada of the past six years. The proportion traced to the U.S. and Canada has held steady for more than a decade.

Response to Tory

Lewis, who favours tight restrictions on gun owners, also spoke on Twitter yesterday to defy Tory’s renewed harassment. The mayor reiterated his call on the federal government to confiscate handguns from all sport shooters in Canada.

This time Lewis was replying to CP24, a Toronto TV news channel.

“Criminals are already flouting firearms legislation that can put them in prison…I don’t think they’ll give up their guns and criminal lifestyles over the fear of a municipal handgun bylaw,” Lewis tweeted.

Read: Toronto Mayor Tory Renews Call to Ban Handguns Across Canada

All firearms are banned already for everyone under threat of prison unless they get temporary permission from the federal police after passing safety courses and background checks.

Trudeau is looking at taking away more guns from their legitmate owners.

Lewis has emphasized enforcing existing laws to keep guns in the right hands and working on programs to steer youth away from gangs. He regularly tweets to oppose bans aimed at lawful, safe and responsible shooters.

The former chief was one of the first active or retired police leaders to publicly support RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki when she said she’s “not sure” a handgun ban would stop violent criminals.

“I agree,” Lewis tweeted Aug. 18 in reply to Tim Smith, the head of government relations for a police group that lobbies the government to restrict hunters and sport shooters. “It would be unmanageable and unfair to the majority of handgun owners who obey the law and always use their guns safely. Let’s effectively deal with the criminals that do NOT obey the current criminal law.”

Read: Three Top Cops Don’t Support Banning Guns From Lawful Owners

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is the country’s only force with more officers than the Ontario Provincial Police.

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